Washing machine provided with resilient vibration control door sealing means



J1me 1953 w. c. BRUCKMAN ET AL 2,643,538

DED WITH RESILIENT WASHING MACHINE VI VIBRATION CONT DOOR SEALING MEANS2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 10, 1948 INVENTORS WILL/AM c. B/PUCKM/M/IWOETO/V A. lmf/rcmww WALTER .Z 0450 June 30, 1953 w. c. BRUCKMAN ET AL2,543,538

WASHING MACHINE PROVIDED WITH RESILIENT VIBRATION CONTROL DOOR SEALINGMEANS Filed June 10, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR AT GENE) PatentedJune 30, 1953 'WASHING MACHINE PROVIDED WITH RE.-

SILIE'NT VIBRATION CONTROL DOOR SEALING MEANS William C. Bruckman,Bergenfi'eld, Morton A. K'reitchman, Irvington, and- Walter J; Olson,Bloomfield, N. J., assignors to Federal Telephone and Radio Corporation,N ew York,,N. Y., a corporationiofiDelaware Application June 10, 1948',Serial No. 32, 116

-2'Claims. l

The present invention relates to washing, machines of the type having alaundry container adapted to be rotated at washing and centrifugal fluidextraction speeds, and more particularly to a flexible tubular connectorconnecting the tub opening with the door opening of the cabinet of thewashing machine.

A typical washing machine to which this invention is applicablecomprises a tub, laundry container or basket, avmotor and a speed changetransmission assembled as a unitary structure and supported byballs,lsprings or other vibration dampening supports to permit at leastalimited movement during washing speed,fluid' extraction speed or both.While. such means of mounting the tub may minimize transmission to thecabinet of vibratory forces from the tub-b'asket-transmission unit,provision must also be made in the structural arrangement of the tubularconnection sometimes provided between the door. opening of the cabinetand the tub in order to avoid undesirable transmission of vibratoryforces through the connection to the cabinet. In certain washing andcentrifugal machines heretofore proposed an accordion-like sleeve hasbeen. used between the cabinet door opening and the tub. Such acorrugated sleeve is objectionable, however, because it transmits,Without sufficient cushioning, vibratory forces that occur in planesperpendicular to the axis of the sleeve and furthermore where theconnector is disposed at an angle to the vertical, the corrugations trapand retain water, suds and dirt.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide for machinesof this character, a flexible tubular connector that overcomes thedisadvantages of the corrugated accordion-like sleeves heretoforeproposed.

Another object of the invention is to provide a flexible tubularconnector which is flexible in directions both axially thereof and inplanes perpendicular to its axis; and to provide the connector with adoor seal extension engageable by the door so that water and sudssplashed against the door during operation of the machine will beeffectively drained back into the tub.

The above-mentioned and other objects of this invention and the mannerof attaining them will become more apparent and the invention itselfwill be best understood, by reference to the following description ofseveral embodiments of the invention taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 shows a sectional view in elevation with certain parts removed ofone form of machine embodying a flexible connector in accordance withone embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 2 shows an actual transverse gyratory'path of an ec'centricallyloaded tub and basket combination as the rotary speed of the basketincreases from a stand-still condition through the critical range ofspeed of the mass to a high steady water extraction speed;

Fig; 3 is an enlarged sectional view of the flexible connector shown inFig. 1; and

Figs. 4 and 5 are similar sectional views of modified forms of theflexible connector.

Referring particularly to Fig; 1, a washing machine is shown supportedin the cabinet in accordance with the disclosure of a copendingapplication ofW. C. Bruckman and M. A. Kreitchman, Serial No. 12,983,filed March 4, 1948, and assigned to the assignee of this application,the machine comprising a water supporting tub I, approximatelyfrusto-conical in shape, and a perforated basket 2 of similar shapeinsid and closely spaced with respect to the tub. Acent'rallylocatedbearing 3 carried by the tub 1 Supports the basketspindle 4. A motor 5 drives the basket through a variable speedtransmission 6, two speeds being sufficient for the usual washing andspinning operations; Solenoid-operated valves for admitting water to anddraining water from the tub are provided, and when energizedsequentially with the speed changing means of the transmission 6, alsosolenoid-operated, may automatically soak, wash, drain, rinse and spin acharge of clothing or other fabrics the desired number of times and inthe desired order to provide complete laundry service. The basket, tub,motor, transmission, and smaller elements are assembled as a unitarystructure and are so mounted within a cabinet I as to permit a freedomof movement without objectionably vibrating the cabinet.

The cabinet 1 disclosed in detail in the copending application of M. A.Kreitchman and W. J.

Olson, Serial No. 28,473, filed May 21, 1948, and assigned to assigneeof this application, comprises a main body portion 8 and a frontremovable portion 9'. The body portion comprises :a rear panel l0, twoside panels II and I2, and a top panel 13. The removable front portion 9comprises a front panel having upper and lower substantially verticalportions l4 and IS with an intermediate portion l6 inclinedtherebetween. The intermediate portion I6 is provided with opening ITand a cover l8 whereby clothes may be introduced and removed from thebasket, the door being supported when open in a horizontal position byhinges l9.

In this machine the tub is mounted on balls so that the tub may have afree movement within limits during the washing and fluid extractionoperations. As shown in Fig. 1, the tub together with the drivingmechanism for the basket contained on the tub are mounted on threeballs, 20, 2| and 22 carried on bearing surfaces disposed substantiallin a common plane. Each bearing surface over which a ball may roll isdefined by an annular abutment 23 which is engaged by the ball shouldthe tub be caused to gyrate or nutate beyond a predetermined amount. Theballs being of rubber or a rubber substitute such as Butyl provideconsiderable snubbing resistance to the slippage of the tub across theballs when the balls are stopped by abutments 23. This condition,however, only occurs for a very short length of time during accelerationand deceleration of the basket when bringing the speed of the basket upto and down from the fluid extraction speed, and then only when passingthrough a critical range of speed determined by the tub-basket mass. Thetub is normally centered upon the balls by two springs 24 and 25 whichare suspended from the rear upper corners of the cabinet and two smallersprings, such as the one indicated at 26, Fig. 1, connected to the frontremovable cabinet portion 9.

During the washing operation and also the fluid extraction operation,and during acceleration and deceleration of the basket, except for ashort period of the acceleration and deceleration when the rotation ofthe basket passes through the critical range of speed of the mass, thegyratory movement of the tub is free running. This free running movementof the tub will, of course, transmit some force to the guid-- ingsprings and ball supports but only of a minor quantity which does notresult in any noticeable cabinet vibration. During the nutations thatoccur in passing through the critical range of speed greater forces willbe applied to the abutments engaged by the balls. In order to properlysupport the tub and to withstand forces resulting from nutations of thetub, the cabinet when properly designed with a bracing structure insupport the balls will absorb the vibratory forces during nutation ofthe tub without any appreciable cabinet vibration. In fact, thevibratory forces are so well absorbed by this construction that the topof the cabinet is remarkably steady throughout the washing and fluidextraction operations.

The behavior of the machine thus described may be demonstrated byattaching a pencil or stylus to the tub with the point bearing on a flatpiece of paper held parallel to the plane of the balls. Fig 2 shows sucha recording, the clothes containing basket for this particular recordingwas loaded with an eccentric weight the worst that might be expectedfrom clothes tightly packed in one small area at one side of the basketand the motor started. The pencil point as shown in Fig. 2 moves slowlyabout the starting or steady slow speed point 21, to suddenly swing intowide irregular excursions 28 as the critical range of speed is reachedand to then settle into a small high speed steady state path 29concentric with the starting or slow speed point 21. This recordingillustrates the vibratory movement of the tub in a plane perpendicularto the tub axis. If the eccentric load is such as to locate the centerof gravity of the load above or below the plane containing the there mayalso be a slight nutation axially of the tub. This type of movement,however, is greatly minimized in the machine illustrated in Fig. 1because of a theoretical suspension feature of the tub mass from animaginary point on the axis of the tub. Other washing or centrifugalmachines supported by different principles may, of course, have muchmore and a greater variety of vibratory movements.

In accordance with the present invention we provide the cabinet and tubwith a flexible connector 30 so constructed and arranged that themovement of the tub whether of a gyratory character about the axis ofthe tub opening or of a nutating character axially of the tub ornumerous variations or combinations of these movements are substantiallycompletely absorbed by the connector without any apparent transmissiontherethrough to the cabinet. In the form shown in Figs. 1 and 3, forexample, the flexible connector comprises a cylindrical section 3|extending from the door opening 32 of the cabinet to adjacent theopening 33 of the tub. Preferably the section 3| extends slightly withinthe tub opening 33 and then extends lat erally to the tub opening whichpreferably is larger than the door opening of the cabinet. The laterallyextending portion 34 flares in a reverse direction from the inner end 35of the tubular section 3! in overlying relation thereto. A furthersection 36 extends laterally from the rear portion of the flared section34 to the tub opening where it is secured or clamped to the rim of thetub by any suitable means, such for example, as steel spring ring 31.The outer extremity of the cylindrical section 3| is provided with aninwardly offset portion 38 adapted to be received onto the rim of thedoor opening 32 and finally a flexible annular projection 39 disposedinwardly and axially outwardly at an acute angle to the cylindricalsection. The annular portion 39 is engaged and flexed by the door whenclosed thereby reducing the angular position thereof. This engagementinsures a watertight seal with the door and causes any water or sudssplashed onto the door to be drained back into the tub. The offsetportion 38 is clamped to the rim of the cabinet door opening by anannular steel ring 40 which is flexed to a small size sufficient to bereceived in the opening and then released into clamping engagement withthe portion 38.

The entire connector 30 is thin and made of a material which is flexiblelike rubber or rubber substitutes. The reversed flared sections 34 and36 being flexible have an accordion action in the plane transverse tothe axis of the tub opening so as to absorb vibratory movements in thatplane. This lateral extension also provides resilience for absorption ofany movement of the tub axially of the tub opening, In practice it isfound that this form of flexible connector absorbs satisfactorily allmovements of the tub at its connection to the rim thereof and does nottransmit any forces sufficient to produce noticeable vibration in thecabinet.

The connector 30 is provided with an opening 4| in the wall of thecylindrical section 3| for the introduction of water or other cleaningfluids from a nozzle 42 which may be carried by the cabinet. While arectangular opening has been shown it will be understood, of course,that the opening may be varied in shape, configuration and location asmay be desired. It is preferred that no connection be made between thenozzle center of percussion of the tub-basket mass 42 and the tub or theflexible connector.

In Fig. 4 a modification of the flexible connecalso comprises acylindrical section 44 similar to section 3! of the connector shown inFigs. 1 and 3. The section 44 differs in that the wall of the outerportion thereof is of greater thickness so as to accommodate a rightangle groove 45 to receive the rim 4B of cabinet .4? thus eliminatingthe steel ring 40 shown in Figs. 1 and 3. The outer extremity of thesection 44 is provided with an enlarged bead portion 48 which ispreferably hollow to form a cushion for the door, the portion contactingthe door being serrated as indicated at 49 and provided with inwardlyextending lip 5|! which insures a watertight seal for the door. Thelateral section of the connector comprises a plurality ofcircumferentially disposed folds 5|, 52' and 53. The outer extremity ofthe lateral section is provided with a bead 54 which is received by thehooked. shaped rim 55 of the tub.

The diameter of the annular bead 54 of the form shown in Fig. 4 isnormally made slightly smaller than the rim diameter of the tub so thatit must be stretched to be received in the hooked flange 55. fold tothat shown in the connector of Figs. 1 and 3. It will be understood, ofcourse, that even more such folds may be provided if desired thuspresenting an extended lateral section with a plurality ofcircumferentially disposed corrugations.

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 5 the cylindrical section 56 thereof issubstantially identical to the form shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the lateralflared extension 51, however, is disposed at a slight angle 58 to aplane perpendicular to the axis of the tubular section 56, the angulardisposition of section 51 being in a reverse direction so as to slightlyoverlie the tubular section 56. In this embodiment it will be clear thatthe tubular section 56 being flexible will provide for absorption ofmovements in planes transverse to the axis thereof, while the lateralsection 51 will absorb movements axially of the section 56. The reverseangle of the section 51 is preferred since it adds to the flexiblenessof the folded portion 59.

While we have described above the principles of ourinvention inconnection with specific apparatus it is to be clearly understood thatthis description is made only by way of example and not as a limitationto the scope of our invention.

We claim:

1. In a washing machine having a casing with a door opening therein, atub in said casing having an opening spaced from said door opening, theopening in said tub being of greater diameter than said door opening andin substantial registry therewith, a laundry container in said tub,means to rotate said container at washing and fluid extraction speeds,the rotation of which tends to impart in said tub a vibratory move- Thisform of the invention adds one ment relative to said casing; theimprovement comprising a tubular member disposed between the openings ofsaid casing and tub, said member having a cylindrical section extendingfrom said door opening into said tub opening substantially parallel tothe axis of rotation of said container and marginally inwardly of saidtub opening, means to retain one end of said cylindrical section influid sealing engagement with the rim of said door opening, one end ofsaid cylindrical section having an extension engageable by the door toseal the opening when the door is in closed position, the opposite endof said cylindrical section being reversed backwardly to extend asubstantial distance and an angle of more than into a laterally flaredsecond section, to lead into a third integral section reversed from saidsecond section, means bondingly engaging the end of said third sectionto the rim of the said tub opening, said tubular member being offlexible material for minimization of vibratory forces through saidmember from said tub to said casing.

2. In a washing machine having a casing with a door opening therein, atub in said casing having an opening of greater diameter than, and insubstantial alignment with said door opening, a laundry container insaid'tub, means to rotate said container, the rotation of which may tendto cause said tub at times to have a vibratory movement relative to saidcasing; the improvement comprising a tubular member connecting theopenings of said casing and tub, said member having a cylindricalsection extending from said door opening into the opening of said tub,and a second section extending laterally outwardly from said cylindricalsection to the opening of said tub, the extremity of said cylindricalsection adjacent said door opening having a flexible annular portiondisposed inwardly toward the aXis of said cylindrical section andextending beyond said door opening for sealing engagement with the doorof said casing when the door is closed, said member being of flexiblematerial whereby transmission through said member of vibratory forcesfrom said tub to said casing is greatly minimized.

WILLIAM C. BRUCKMAN. MORTON A. KREITCHMAN. WALTER J. OLSON.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTSFOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Great Britain Feb. 26, 1941 Number Number

